John O’Gallagher alt saxophone · Masa Kamaguchi bass · Rob Garcia drums
Saxophonist John O’Gallagher, bassist Masa Kamaguchi, and drummer Rob Garcia have been collaborators in New York’s creative jazz scene since the 1990s. In recent years they solidified their long-standing connection by forming a dedicated trio, touring Spain and Portugal to great success in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Each is a master of their instrument with a singular voice, and together they forge a profound musical chemistry that yields a sound both distinctive and deeply resonant.
JOHN O’GALLAGHER
“an alto saxophonist of dry tone and daring temperament” – The New York Times
John O’Gallagher is considered one of the most compelling alto saxophonists and composers at work today on the Avant-Jazz scene. Based in New York City for thirty years and now residing in Portugal, he is known for his projects as a leader (The Anton Webern Project, Abacus, Trio), and as a sought after sideman, working with artists such as the Joe Henderson Big Band, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Kenny Wheeler Large Ensemble, Ben Monder, Bob Belden, Billy Hart, Tony Malaby, Drew Gress, Tom Rainey, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mike Gibbs, and Jeff Williams. He has appeared on over 70 CD’s which have garnered three Juno nominations, two Grammy nominations, and one Grammy Award. Downbeat Magazine has declared that his recordings as a leader “all bear O’Gallagher’s exquisite melodic stamp […] a roughhewn majesty permeates the music”. He is the author of books: Twelve-Tone Improvisation published by Advance Music and Analysing Pitch Structure in Late-Period Recordings of John Coltrane: Interstellar Space and Stellar Regions. He is a frequent guest clinician at numerous international conservatories and universities.
MASA KAMAGUCHI
Bassist Masa Kamaguchi was born in Wakkanai City, Japan. In 1990, he moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, and was in-demand to play with many of the Boston’s great musicians, including George Garzone, Hal Crook, Herb Pomeroy and Frank Carlberg. In 1994, Masa moved to New York City performing and recording with such luminaries as Paul Motian, Frank Kimbrough, Sonny Simmons, Ben Monder, David Murray, Toots Thielman, Tony Malaby, Charles Gale, Ron Horton, Dave Douglas, John O’Gallagher, Russ Lossing and Billy Mintz. In 2006, Masa moved to Barcelona, while he maintains strong connections with NY musicians. He also plays with European musicians such as Albert Bover, Perico Sambeat, Albert Sanz and Sara Serpa. An acutely intuitive player, Masa brings an individual sound and fresh perspective to the acoustic bass.
ROB GARCIA
Hailed as “a prime mover in the current Brooklyn jazz scene” (Time Out New York) and “one of New York’s great jazz drummers and composers” (Capital New York), Rob Garcia is a vital force in contemporary jazz as both sideman and bandleader. He has collaborated with Joe Lovano, Sheila Jordan, Dave Liebman, Wynton Marsalis, the Kronos Quartet, and many others, appearing on over 75 recordings—including Grammy winners—and touring worldwide. As a bandleader and co-leader, Rob has released 14 critically acclaimed albums, most recently Natural Bounce (2023) and Illumination (2020) on Fresh Sound Records, earning consistent praise from DownBeat, The New York Times, and JazzTimes. Additionally, Rob founded and co-directs Connection Works (501c3) and is a member of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, championing artist-run organizations that help jazz thrive in the 21st century.
